September 06, 2009

Land Scam : CM’s intervention sought

SILCHAR, Sept 5: The All Cachar District Students’ Union has alleged foul play in the Indragarh land scam and, therefore, sought intervention of the Chief Minister as they found the land mafia was a powerful and influential lobby. Sources in the Union told that during the period from November 2007 to March 2008, the field staff of Land Acquisition Department of the Cachar Deputy Commissioner along with Army personnel and the sub-defence Estate Officer conducted a joint field verification for counting of Zirath etc. in the Indragarh area at Srikona and it was found that during that joint verification the officers and staff took signatures of all the practical possession holders of the acquired land.Sources further said that the officials had completed the joint field verification with satisfaction to all concerned and enlisted the name of possession holders of about 169 members from Mouza Indragarh Grant and 223 members from Mouza Indragarh Block. For this, the officials had followed the Land Acquisition Act in the joint field verification. There after, the land acquisition branch sent two separate lists of beneficiaries who had a house, wells, tanks etc. from the zirath list to the PWD Building Division. This was done to sort out the estimated cost of the structure.The land acquisition branch further sent all documents to the Army as well as to the Revenue Department, Assam government, for publishing notification and placement of funds etc.But, after completion of the all official processes, one Barun Sharma, who was the Patwari engaged in the joint field verification of the above acquisition, has lodged a complaint to the Cachar Land Acquisition Officer complaining that one Makaddas Ali in collaboration with Dealing Assistant of the said acquisition project Atasi Dutta had prepared a false zirath list of 60 to 70 people by threatening him to sign the false zirath list. Although Sharma, in his letter to the LAO, demanded justice from Cachar Deputy Commissioner no steps were taken so far on it even after he provided proof. Later, a group of people led by Makaddas Ali along with one Basulal Das and his wife Gyanobala Das, who is the GP President of Indragarh, with vested interests, started an agitation against the said acquisition project. They also submitted several memos to officials demanding to recount the zirath saying the actual beneficiaries were deprived of their rights. These agitations compelled the Cachar DC to stop the whole acquisition process and ordered enquiry on the matter. The Union said that due to the above false allegations and complaints etc. the process of acquisition had become stagnant, which may create huge losses to the actual holders of that area as most of the holders are from below the poverty line. Sources indicated, till date the Army has not placed the required fund for the acquired land. Therefore, if the process is stopped then it will be too late to get the required fund from the Army. (Source-sentinel assam)